The Road to 65, Mile 102: Three Beaches

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 13, 2015 in Hiking and Nature, Travel

March 10, 2015, Dana Point- I began the day innocently enough, letting myself out of the apartment of two young men, who were already at work, making two trips from hallway to car. My first stop of the day: Fletcher Cove, at Solana Beach, one of the few Southern California beach towns I had never seen up close. Fletcher Cove Park was busy with several parents and children, as San Diego County has Spring Break this week, as does Arizona.

I chose to investigate the south strand of Solana’s public beach area, part of the one-mile stretch donated by the town’s developer, as well as the “Dog Beach”, even further south.

Note that the tide was coming in, quickly.

This walkway evoked Crystal Cove, further up the coast in Newport Beach.

Not sure of the name of this bird, but it was a curious, friendly sort.

Colour is found is the most unexpected places.

People persist in living on the edge here, as elsewhere in SoCal, and for a premium.

The tide reached its high point, as I crossed this ledge.

Solana’s colourful cliffs are kin to those of the desert, which is actually not so far away.

It appears sea gulls have found it hard to maintain a chevron.

A mother pointed out to her daughter, that sometimes plants can appear lazy. Fletcher Cove has this relaxing park, near its central overlook.

As with so many SoCal towns, Solana Beach has something to offer a repeat visitor: The north beach of Fletcher Cove; maybe in July.

I drove up the coast to San Diego County’s northernmost strand: San Onofre.

This is a State Beach, so it’s a $15 day fee. San Onofre is a surfer’s beach, and there were many people in the water. Kayakers abounded, and while there were mainly single adults here, a smattering of families were enjoying the relatively calm water.

Surfer music, palm trees and replicated Hawaiian totems cast an South Pacific aura.

The state beach lies between the gradually-being-decomissioned nuclea power plant, to the south, and Camp Pendleton, to the north. Walkers are allowed on the north end of San Onofre Beach, which is inside Camp Pendleton, provided they remain below the berm cliffs.

I ended my beach day with a brief visit to familiar Dana Point Harbor, where I met my friend, Janet (not pictured). While waiting for her, I made note of the clarity of the harbour water,

and of several pelicans, who were chasing fishing boats that were coming into the marina.

Janet and I did not see our favourite blue herons, though there were tell-tale nests in the thinned-out eucalyptus. We visited for a while, then I headed inland- to the different magic of the oaks and pines.

The Road to 65, Mile 101: Insensitivity

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 10, 2015 in Social, Travel

March 9, 2015, San Diego- All in all, today was a lovely day in this, one of my favourite cities. I had a nice visit with my brother, who had come from the Atlanta area, for a fortnight’s worth of business. Our talk ranged from his intermediate term plans to my own long-range goals. Basically, our conclusions were that each of us should be happy and responsible- and that the two were complementary to one another.

After he left, to go back to his work for the day, I pondered the whole matter of why some folks just can’t put themselves in another’s shoes, as we siblings do for each other, all the time. It could be upbringing, or it could be a character defect-as with several people I have met over the years, as well as recently.

I drove from Mission Bay, where I had met with my brother, to Seaport Village, a pleasant collection of shops and restaurants near Embarcadero Park. After getting a couple of pastries and a coffee, to be enjoyed later, I stopped and listened to an a capella choir of nine young men, who were singing a potpourri of popular songs from the ’50’s and ’60’s. They did each song justice, ranging from The Platters’ “Only You” to The Four Seasons’ “Sherry Baby”. After an hour or so along Embarcadero, I met up with Aram, went back to the pad for a rest and then we went over to L & L’s Hawaiian Barbecue, for simple and fabulous island fare.

My after dinner browsing brought forth two disturbing cultural insensitivity incidents. One, at Santa Barbara Community College, was a promotion for a group of engineering students having devised a rather tacky looking tipi-like structure, with windows, out of which a couple of the kiddies were leaning out, and grinning for the camera. This has brought reactions, ranging from eye-rolling to loud calls for dismantling the structure. I believe it is “playing Indian”, and some gentle, but firm, cultural lessons are in order. We are no longer in the 1950’s.

Cross the Atlantic Ocean, and in Rome, two Americans were definitely not doing as the Romans do. They carved their initials in a section of the Colosseum, and were promptly detained by the Caribinieri. I like that. We are in a global society and do need to treat each nation’s treasures, as they are indeed our own.

ISIS is cultural and historical insensitivity, writ large. Extremists, the world over, long to demolish mankind’s historical legacy- and a good deal of our present-day humanity along with it. It goes without saying that decent and noble people have to stand up to these maniacs. It is foolhardy to excuse them, as some have done, by saying “Well, they are just doing what’s in their hearts”. BALDERDASH! They have become disconnected from their hearts. There is no way the Assyrian historical record should be gone from us, as so much of it has, in recent days. Where they will stop is really up to the international community, at this point.

Insensitivity only bolsters walls which need to be brought down, and the remnants made into bridges and roads.

The Road to 65, Mile 100: Cowles Mountain

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 9, 2015 in Hiking and Nature, Travel

March 8, 2015, San Diego- This morning found me up early, as is customary during the Baha’i Fast, which falls between March 2-20. Getting a solid breakfast at Gramma’s Country Kitchen, my favourite restaurant in Banning, and enjoying watching as the team got everything ready for what promised to be a busy Sunday after-church crowd, I rolled out of Banning relatively early. The drive through Hemet and Menifee, then on down to San Diego, was smooth and uneventful, save for an overturned semi-trailer, near MiraMesa.

Aram and I both rested for a bit; he, because of having had watch, last night and I, because it was Noon and fasting makes a 30-minute nap especially important. At 2 PM, we headed out to Cowles Mountain, in Mission Trails Park, on the east side of town. It is the highest peak within the city limits.

I was my usual self, maintaining a steady pace and taking lots of photos. It had been a while since I hiked uphill, so it was a rather decent cardio workout.

Here are a few photos, before I put the lot of them in Flickr. Aram, feeling in need of a brisk start, blazed ahead, with my blessing.

We had fine views of San Diego, to the southwest, and the Cuyamaca Range, to the east.

The scrub and sandstone were our hosts, and there were dozens of hikers out enjoying the picture-postcard afternoon.

Lake Murray, a reservoir that is part of Mission Trails Park, is visible from the south face of Cowles Mountain. It is a popular fishing and boating venue for San Diegans.

I reached the top in about forty minutes. It being 83 out, the sweat was not shy about making itself known.

George Cowles, a pioneer in the area in the 1870’s, lent his name to the mountain.

On the way down, I got a better sense of the alignment of various boulders. They are almost like family groupings.

At the foot of Cowles Mountain, near a covered trash barrel, I spotted this canyon, in which lurked- a Sandbag Boa Constrictor! 🙂

This was a truly fine day, capped by dinner at Zorba’s, a Greek cafe between the airport and Point Loma. San Diego never disappoints. Neither does my son.

The Road to 65, Mile 99: Bloody Sunday

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 8, 2015 in Personal goals, Social, Travel

March 7, 2015, Banning- In July, 2011, I happened by Selma, AL, and spent a day walking around the city, crossing the Edmund L. Pettis Bridge, looking over and seeing the Alabama River, which, miraculously, did not claim any lives on March 7, 1965, though humans took the lives of other humans, over a period of three weeks. I spoke with a ranger at the Selma Civil Rights National Historical Site, who noted that race relations were a tad better now than they were during the immediate aftermath of the turmoil. Paying my respects at the Viola Liuzzo Memorial, near Hayneville, I pondered that people change their behaviour at the behest of outside influences, such as the government, but not until their hearts change, are the objects of their disdain even remotely safe.

We have made some progress, in getting along, over the years. There are more people of colour in my hometown of Saugus, MA, than when I was growing up. I was raised not to think disparagingly of others, based on race, much less to speak so. Quite frankly, I felt as shocked and disappointed when Malcolm X (who my father thought was making good changes in his life) and Martin Luther King, Jr. were executed. Yes, both, in my mind, were acts of officially-sanctioned murder- as the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy probably were, also.

People in Prescott, my current home, are outwardly accepting of others, regardless of race. Yet, I have it on good authority (from a racist-in-recovery, no less), that many in the town are still emotionally stuck in the 1950’s and ’60’s, if not in the Jim Crow Era.

To say that we are all racist, to some degree is an overstatement- and a dodge. Everyone does need to work on raising their consciousness level, but that applies across the board, not just with respect to how we deal with those of other ethnicities and pigmentation.

I am spending tonight in Banning, a city in western Riverside County, CA. Banning had serious trouble during both Los Angeles riots, though it seems to have quieted quite alot, in the few times I have been here since 1992. Quiet,though, does not necessarily mean peace.

I would be overjoyed to see people interact positively with each other, regardless of background, on a regular basis. I do see more of that with Millennials and Post- Millennials, and hope and pray that this will remain a lifelong habit for those generations- and that the rest of us remember the idealism of our own youth, and ponder just what it is that has deflected that idealism. We’re not done growing, yet.

The Road to 65, Mile 98: Past Square One

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 7, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

March 6, 2015, Prescott- Two events that occurred today, made me think of the need for perseverance. The individual whom I’ve been helping, these past four months, made a heartfelt solicitation of work this morning, while we were heading back to his campsite, to retrieve my car and other items he had left in the area. We had circled around the park, so as to determine a closer route to his campsite, in forming his game plan for this evening. This made going around the long way to my car, necessary. He took interest in a home that was in serious disrepair, and seemed to connect with the owner, and to have obtained work. After I left them to discuss their business arrangement, one disagreement after another ended up derailing the whole thing.

The second was an e-mail from a prospective employer of mine, which had been stalling on calling me for an interview. The message essentially said that those in whom the employer was interested, had already been called, and interviews were being set up. Since none of those was yours truly, I will move on and contact the area charter schools, after Spring Break, so as to add to my job options, besides Prescott and Chino Valley Public Schools.

I spent the better part of today listening to my de facto client, working through some of his long-standing issues. Some of these got in his way, in today’s effort to find work; others have just made him miserable for a lot longer. While I remain a solitary figure, by choice, a balance is being struck with the legitimate needs of those around me. The person with whom I am working right now does have serious boundary and transference issues, and it has taken the patience of Job, at times, to maintain my life of choice. I think he is coming to understand me, and respect my choices.

The silver lining is that he has gotten me to take care of a few practical organizational matters, which I might otherwise have continued to blow off. There is value in all things.

The Road to 65, Mile 97: Points in Heaven

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 5, 2015 in Personal goals

March 5, 2015, Prescott: Today marks four years since my beloved wife passed out of all her suffering. As luck would have it, there was no work for me today, with Spring Break approaching. So, I’ve been reflecting, since about 5 AM, as to what she may be feeling, in her place among the angels. I get messages from her, all the time though, about what I might do, where I might spend time and with whom, and which direction my life ought to take.

When I had my tax bill calculated by my CPA, a few days ago, he said that while my charitable contributions and acts might get me points in heaven, they won’t get me any points with the government. He expressed concern about how I might live, when I reach my 70’s and 80’s.

Truth is, my charitable acts and contributions, being those of one person, can only go so far and do just so much good. There will always be a need, far greater than what I can offer, what any one of us can give. Maybe that’s why each of us is inundated with phone calls and e-mails, most of which have to be turned down.

As to my life later on, the age-old, “One day at a time” adage does need to be balanced with efforts to keep working, as long as body and mind allow and there are the instructions I get from the Spirit Realm to keep focused- on the community,on family, on the road, path and trail and on the Greater Vision, which gets unfolded to me, one step at a time.

If 70 finds me needing a cheaper place to lay my head at night, I know where to find it. If my diamond birthday comes, and living alone is too much, then I will find a community which will take me in, in return for doing my fair share. Money has its place in life, but is far from all.

A friend asked, yesterday, “What is the meaning of life?” I answered “Embracing life’s mysteries”. This is another way of saying “To know and serve God”, which we Baha’is hold as the essence of life’s purpose. I feel it is what brought solace to Penny, in her final days here, and has kept her in peace ever since. She will help me understand more mysteries, as time moves on, and when there is no more time.

The Road to 65, Mile 95: A Place for Everybody

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 4, 2015 in Social

March 3, 2015, Chino Valley- About 1:30 PM, as my students of the day were working on a lesson about contractions (the grammar kind), a little boy walked in, quietly took a seat and pulled his coat over his head. I patiently coaxed him to take the coat off, and asked if he would like to work on the same lesson as the other students, having determined he was a Special Needs student and only in the room for a short time.

The Inclusion Specialist was with us for that hour, so after a few minutes of saying it was not his regular lesson, he walked over and joined her small group. He did just fine, writing the contractions along with the three other children, and proudly brought the paper to me for review. After a few extra minutes in the group, he was off again- back to his self-contained class. This time, he walked with confidence.

Education, these days, is developing a penchant for several pathways: Besides the neighbourhood/wide area school, and its long-time alter ego, the private school, there are charter schools, computer-based academies and home schooling. The idea of one size fitting all is going by the wayside. There are many upsides to the idea of education being a bazaar, of sorts.

The point that matters most, though, is the mindset of the educator. Having been brought up to include everyone who happens by, in whatever I am doing at the time, whenever possible, the idea of marginalizing or of outcasts, leaves me rather cold. Especially with children, the circle must embrace and raise up those who might easily be forgotten or displaced. It doesn’t take all that much effort, and for the Post-Millennial generation, it is the most natural thing in the world to encourage those viewed in former times as misfits and outcasts.

I was reminded of this again, this afternoon, while reading a post from another blogger about the haughtiness of some in a tony suburb, in another state, and how easy it is for them to draw tight lines around their social circle. Perhaps adulthood, such as it is, can have this effect on people- but who is the more mature, in such a situation?

The Road to 65, Mile 94: The Flow

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 3, 2015 in Personal goals

March 2, 2015, Prescott- Granite Creek was flowing, fast and furious, as I looked out the window, at my CPA’s office, this afternoon. I thought of how things flow, very freely. My funds will flow, in a couple of weeks, to tend to my remaining tax bills, and will flow just as quickly back into my account, with hard work on my part and those of the enterprises in which I invest. Energy will flow, a bit more slowly, as I engage in the Fast, of which 18 days remain, then more steadily as Spring comes into play. Time always flows, and rarely at a slow pace. Love flows, in several ways, as the Bellamy Brothers once sang.

I’ve been one to go with the flow, especially since I’ve been living alone, in the physical sense. The past three years, I have traveled extensively, always going where I felt the energy calling. I’ve lived, happily, in Prescott, when the energy called me home. Sometimes, it’s the Baha’i community that calls, other times the needs of family and other friends, still others, when a civic emergency arises. Mostly, though, it’s the thought-voice of my beloved, on the other side, letting me know what is in store for the day, the week, the month and year, and towards what end I should direct my energies.

I feel something pulling me now, possibly away from the state I’ve called home, off and on, for nearly 40 years. I’ve felt that pull before, and have always ended up staying put, home-wise, even when going off on one of my tangents, as happened a few weeks ago. I think the flow may change course a few times, before it’s set right. There is only one thing to do right now, go with it and see where things lead. Sounds like a plan.

The Road to 65, Mile 93: Fun and Games

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 3, 2015 in Personal goals, Social

March 1, 2015, Prescott- The most tempestuous month of the year dawned, much like a lion, with rain all day and a hint that snow might be in the offing later on. Of course, what we get here in Arizona pales compared with what has befallen the eastern two-thirds of the country, over the past three months. Our washes are rushing at capacity, and some roads are closed as a result. Still, I am on the Red Cross Watch Team, and have not received a call to action, as yet this weekend.

March is also a time when I get the bad news on the tax front, but at least I have five weeks to pony up. There are always consequences to fun and games, such as my long journeys abroad last year. This year will have to be toned down, a lot, and more time spent around the home area, hardly a bad thing when home is within the parameters of the Southwest.

What one does for fun does not have to be cleared with anyone else, so long as nobody else is getting hurt and the cost of the enjoyment doesn’t fall on anyone else’s shoulders- sort of a corollary to the whole thing about choices. I love the outdoors, so being on a trail somewhere is my ideal relaxation. I also enjoy gatherings of friends or family. Others, as I hinted, are well-entitled to do whatever they wish, for as long as they wish.

I say this because we seem to have entered a time when people feel they must justify everything they do, in the face of criticism, real or perceived. There will always be those of different mindsets. They will often express their opinions, and usually at a time when one feels vulnerable. I can only say, keep on with what you are doing, and pay your naysayers no mind. That is, unless those naysayers are your dependents, or your significant other, and they have needs that may interrupt the joy of the moment.

Life is short, regardless of its actual span, so I hope all will keep plenty of time for your relaxation of choice.

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A Sagittarian Seeker

Sharing a life of inner and outer journeys

Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Road to 65, Mile 102: Three Beaches

The Road to 65, Mile 100: Cowles Mountain

The Road to 65, Mile 97: Points in Heaven

The Road to 65, Mile 94: The Flow

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